National Heritage Week 2010

The Heritage Council, Church Lane, Kilkenny
Phone: 056 7770777
Fax: 056 7770788

Wednesday 14th July 2010: Experience life in 1210 by living in a castle for a week, meet the bugs of Corlea Bog, get an 18th Century Guide to Marriage, celebrate Tara & Irish heritage with Paul Muldoon and Colm Toibín, trace your ancestors, dance at the crossroads, taste some famine soup, get an insight into the life of Dublin’s women street traders, take a surf lesson through Irish, explore the royal canal or go on the hunt for bats in Dromoland Castle…..just some of the 1100 events included in the National Heritage Week Event Guide, launched today by the Heritage Council.

National Heritage Week, which is coordinated by the Heritage Council, runs from 21st – 29th August 2010 and the majority of events throughout the week are FREE. 50,000 copies of the National Heritage Week Event Guide, launched today will be available free throughout the country. Complete event listings are also available on the National Heritage Week website, www.heritageweek.ie

Speaking at the launch in ESB’s No 29, Georgian House Museum Senator David Norris, Ambassador for National Heritage Week said, “At difficult times like this it is very important to remember the glorious cultural heritage that we have whether it be in the built environment, an understanding of our social traditions, sport or the tracing of the glorious variety of our ancestry. I commend the Heritage Council for their initiative in coorindating this".

Commenting on the value of National Heritage Week Michael Starrett, CEO of the Heritage Council said, “despite the tough economic times National Heritage Week continues to grow with more events than ever scheduled to take place this year. The success of the week is thanks to the many creative event organisers nationwide who promote the week locally and use it as an opportunity to showcase the wealth of heritage in their community.

Over the last few years we have seen a definite change in attitude towards heritage. We are seeing a growing interest in heritage matters amongst the general public and in particular an increase in the number of people wanting to not only experience heritage but get involved in and learn more about their heritage. National Heritage Week provides a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to participate and have fun. There are events for all interests throughout the week so I would encourage people to pick up a copy of the event guide or log on to www.heritageweek.ie and see what is offer in their county”.

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Some Events

·    Medieval Challenge - live as a medieval family in 1210 in Taaffee’s Castle. To commemorate the 800th Anniversary of the building of King Johns Castle in Carlingford, Co. Louth a group of volunteers will live in an original tower house, Taaffee’s Castle, uninhabited since 1600. They will forage for food, fish for their supper and slumber with their animals as they experience life in 1210 surrounded by a specially constructed mediaeval village - complete with medieval village folk and craftspeople giving workshops re-enacting life in the Middle Ages.

·    Talk & Tea: An Eighteenth-Century Gentlewoman's Guide to Marriage, Donegal County Museum, High Rd., Letterkenny, Co Donegal (FREE) Wednesday 25th August, 7-9pm. Talk explores the way in which love and marriage were dealt with during the eighteenth century. Talk covers issues including courtship, legal requirements for marriage, the 'companionate' marriage, marriage customs, the duties of a wife.

·    Feis Teamhra: A Turn at Tara. Celebration of Tara and Irish Heritage in poetry and song with Paul Muldoon, Colm Toibín, Susan McKeown, Laoise Kelly and others. Presented in partnership with Poetry Ireland. (FREE) Visitor Centre, Hill of Tara, Sunday 29th August 3-5pm.

·    Surfing Lessons 'as Gaeilge' / Ag Marcaíocht na dTonnta - Learn to surf and have fun through Irish, Freedom Surf School & Adventure & Tramore Beach, Waterford (€20)
Sunday 22nd August 12-2.30pm. Minimum age of nine years for surf lessons. Páistí naoi mbliain d'aois nó níos mó.

·    Story Of Life As An 18th Century Dublin Child, No 29 Georgian House Museum, Lr. Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2 (FREE) Saturday 21st August, 3-4pm . Theatre Piece in the drawing room of No. 29 Georgian House Museum. Story of life as an 18th Century Dublin child. Production by staff from Imaginosity, Dublin Children's Museum.

·    Famine Soup Lunch By Award Winning Chef, Strokestown Park, Roscommon (€4 per soup) Wednesday 25th August 1-145pm.Head chef of the Strokestown Park Cafe, Siobhan Greene, makes Soyer soup, a famine era mainstay. American cornbread will also be featured. Event held in the unique Strokestown House kitchen, dating from the 1740s. Meet at the Strokestown Park Café.

·    "My Big Day": First Communion and Confirmation Photographs 1920s to 1970s, From The Annie Brophy Photographic Collection, Waterford City Archives (FREE)
21st – 28th August. Saturday 10am -4pm / Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.

·    Whale Watching at locations nationwide with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) (FREE) Sunday 22nd August 2-5pm. See www.iwdg.ie for locations

·    Screening Of Banana's On The Breadboard: Filmmaker Joe Lee's Documentary About Dublin's Women Street Traders, Bewley's Cafe, Grafton St., Dublin 2 (FREE) Thursday 26th July 7-8.15pm

·    Find the bats of Dromoland Castle (FREE) Wednesday 25th August 7-9pm. Meet at Clare Inn, Dromoland.

·    The Liberties Of Dublin 800 Exhibition, St. Nicholas of Myra Parish Centre, Carman Hall, Francis St., Dublin 8 (FREE) 22nd August 3-5pm, 23rd August 7.30pm – 10.00pm, 24th – 29th August 9.30am – 5pm

·    Children’s tour of Farmleigh House, with a special visit to talk to the animals - Adults must be accompanied by a child! (FREE) Saturday 21st & 28th August 12-1pm Have fun with the donkeys, horses and calves, see the ‘secret staircase' and 'spot the deliberate mistakes in the tapesteries'. Children aged 5 -12yrs.

·    Dancing At The Crossroads, Laharn Cross, Laharn, Lombardstown,Mallow, Co. Cork (FREE) 22nd & 29th August 8-10pm

·    Knit-Along Sunday, Sheep & Wool Centre, Leenane, Galway (FREE) Sunday 29th August from 10am-6pm. Join the Knit-along Sunday knitting challenge and see how much we can knit in one day. Knitting volunteers needed.

·    Ugly Bug Ball, Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Kenagh, Longford (FREE)
Sunday 29th August, 10am – 5pm. Corlea Bog has loads of 'very' ugly bugs; beetles, spiders, wasps, the guest list is endless at the Ugly Bug Ball so come and meet the 'Bog Bugs'.

·    Sean Nós And Brush Dancing, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co. Laois (FREE)
Tuesday 24th August, 3-5pm. Traditional dancing workshop led by Maureen Culliton for girls and boys aged 8 - 12 years. Booking required - Contact the Dunamaise Arts Centre for details.

·    Tracing your ancestors at Dublin City Library and Archive with Dr. Máire Kennedy (FREE) Wednesday 25th August, 3-4pm. Booking essential at Cabra Library, tel. 01 869 1414

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To find out about events happening in your county pick up a copy of the National Heritage Week Event Guide which was launched today and will be available free at OPW Sites, Heritage Centres & Historical Societies, Fáilte Ireland Tourist Offices, Libraries, CNCI Members, NPWS Sites, Heritage Officers and County Councils, An Óige Hostels, Various Individual Museums (MSPI Participants), Bus Eireann Stations and some Hotels across the country. Complete event listings are also available on the National Heritage Week website, www.heritageweek.ie

“National Heritage Week attracts more than 200,000 people to events each year. Many of these are overseas visitors, making it the ideal opportunity to showcase our natural, cultural and built heritage”, added Mr. Starrett.

For updates on events throughout the week, log on to www.heritageweek.ie or follow us on Twitter @heritageweek or our Heritage Week Facebook page.

Further information:
Michelle Guinan, MKC Communications, 01 7038604 / 086 3846630
Isabell Smyth, Head of Communications & Education, The Heritage Council, 087 967 6889

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